


New Dawn Fades

by lemon_shark



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Violence, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Hannibal Lecter is Not a Cannibal, Jealousy, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mild Sexual Content, Minor Character Death, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Someone Help Will Graham, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-07-30 23:22:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20105326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemon_shark/pseuds/lemon_shark
Summary: Will Graham is seventeen years old when his father dies.After that, his life is changed when his guardians Jack and Phyllis Crawford move him to Baltimore and enroll him into an elite prep school. Mostly to give him a better education and have him make friends for once, Will is not the slightest bit interested and he's sure that none has any interest in him.Then he meets twenty-six-year-old Hannibal Lecter who disagrees completely.





	1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Hannibal fic and I've been wanting to post this story for a long time. I've rewritten so many times and I didn't stop until I was satisfied with it. Please enjoy!

_ **September 1996** _

Will was alone in the starless night.

A field of grass expanded from beyond the invisible horizon, he felt impossibly small in this place. The moon was his only companion in this isolated world. 

He was alone, but he had the feeling that he was being watched. 

He made a few careful steps forward, testing the ground below him. The gentle wind blew in his face and he fought back a shiver as he continued walking. When he finally reached a certain distance, he found it.

The graceful, dark beast that stood in the center of the field. It was a stag, fully grown and with fur like black ink. Even its eyes were black, void of any other color.

The stag didn't seem to notice him until Will stepped closer. The stag did nothing at first, only staring him down with its soulless eyes. Then it began to make its way towards Will. 

Heavy, slow footsteps got closer and closer towards Will and he felt red flags going off in his head. He began to back away, but the stag seemed to sense his apprehension and only quickened its pace. It didn't stop walking until it was right in front of him.

Black eyes stared back at blue and both did not blink for the longest time. 

And then the field along with the stag vanished. 

  
It was five in the morning when Will woke up from his deep sleep, trembling as he caught his breath.

Another dream again, however it was already slipping away from his memory as he became more awake.

He remembered the moon and stag, not the worst he's had so far if he had to be honest. Definitely not the worst one. It was the same one he's had for about a week now. It didn't concern him either way, it was a break from the nightmares he would get every so often. 

This one was different; neither bad nor good. Nevertheless, he had the same reaction as usual. 

His dogs whimpered from below the bed and he lowered his hand, allowing them to sniff as they please. Just to let them know that he was alright. 

Will pushed the sheets back and released a long sigh, wiping the sweat off his forehead shakily. He waited until his breathing returned to normal before getting out of bed, his movements slow and unstable as he made his way to the bathroom. The dogs followed him from close behind. 

He flicked the light switch on once inside, his eyes instantly scrunching as they tried to adjust to the brightness. He undressed out of his damp clothes and tossed them in the laundry basket next to the bathtub. Shivering as he pulled down his briefs, he quickly grabbed the folded clothes from the towel shelf and slipped them on; sighing in relief as he was finally dressed.

Will looked at the mirror and scanned his sweaty and ghost-like face, not knowing whether to turn away in disgust or to break the mirror with the nearest object he could find. It was one of those nights. 

With a new stable hand, he switched on the faucet and let the sink fill up with water, shutting it off when it was full enough. He stared at the small, clear pool in the sink for a moment before dunking his face into the icy water. He felt the shock of cold at first before he adjusted to the sensation, closing his eyes and waited ten seconds. Ten seconds for him to become fully awake. 

Will shot his head up when the seconds passed, inhaling a deep breath before releasing it slowly. The droplets of water dripped from his face as he relaxed. He grabbed the hand towel that hanged from a hook and wiped his face down before shutting off the light and leaving the bathroom. 

The sounds of dogs claws against wooden floors accompanied him as he went to the kitchen. He was expecting to see his father making coffee and preparing breakfast for the two of them as usual. 

But he saw an empty and dimly lit kitchen instead. It was the same his dad had left it when he went out to visit Jack and Phyllis. 

Will's brows furrowed and went back towards the bedrooms, going to his dad's door and knocked gently. 

"Dad?"

No reply.

He opened the door carefully and peeked inside, like the kitchen; empty. The bed was made and there was no sign of his dad. 

Will stood at the doorway, ignoring his Jack Russell Terrier Buster trying to hop onto the bed and then he paced to the living room. He went towards the windows and pulled back the curtains, his father's pick up was absent as well. It didn't take too long for him to grab the phone off of the landline and dial Jack's number. There was a possible chance that Jack was still sleeping, but was the least of his concerns right now.

The dial tone rang three times before it stopped. 

"Hello?" Jack's low and tired voice answered.

"Jack, it's Will. Sorry for waking you." He quickly apologized. "Do you know where my dad is?"

There was a pause.

"No, he went home as soon as we left the restaurant. He's not home?" Jack asked in confusion. 

"No, he's not. Just me and the dogs. I thought he maybe he drank too much and stayed at your place."

"He only had one glass last night." 

"His truck's not here," Will stated plainly. 

He could hear Phyllis' voice in the background and the ruffling of sheets. 

"Will, he's probably at work already."

"He doesn't leave until six, he never gets earlier than…" Will's voice trailed off when he saw blue and red lights flashing on the wall in front of him.

Turning around, he could see through the slit of the curtains a police car approaching the house, stopping once they were right in front. 

Will heard Jack saying his name through the phone, but didn't bother to didn't reply as he hung up.

Car doors opened and shut from outside and he jumped slightly when there was a loud knock on the front door. Slowly, he approached the door, unlocking and opening it to reveal two male police officers no more than their thirties. 

"Good morning, are you William Graham?"

"Yes," Will confirmed. "Can I help you?"

"We're here about your father," One of the officers spoke, his voice calm, but almost hesitant to continue. "I'm afraid we have some bad news."

Will could feel the dread seeping into him and his grip on the door handle tightened. 

Before the officer even spoke, he knew his father wasn't coming back.

"Your father was in a car accident, a truck driver collided into him while he was on his way home and your father's car rolled into a ravine." The officer paused and sighed. 

"Your father didn't survive the crash, I'm very sorry."

Will let the words sink in and he exhaled quietly; struggling to gulp for a second. It was like his body was malfunctioning. His eyes went over the spot where his dad usually parked his truck. The memory of him yesterday unloading fresh fish and groceries from the truck, greeting him and the pack as he entered still fresh in his mind. 

Everything seemed to slow down and grow further away as he moved to sit on the porch, hugging his knees to his chest. The police officers stood at the porch; one talking into his radio attached to his shoulder and the other attempting to comfort Will.

"Is your mom around?" The officer asked.

"My mother left us years ago," Will answered, his voice distant as he stared off into space. 

The officer nodded. "Any other relatives we can contact?"

Will shook his head. "We have a family friend, Jack Crawford." He said, reciting his number to the officer who copied it down on a notepad. 

"Alright, we'll contact him immediately."

The officer stepped away when Will didn't say anything else, probably thinking it was best to leave him alone for the time being. 

Will felt alone most of the time even though he knew he never really was. He had his dad and the pack, that was all he needed to be honest. He was a simple man and he was content with that. He never asked for anything more, he had food and shelter and a place to fish. What more could he ask for?

Now he truly was alone. 

  
+

  
"Will, are you ready?" Phyllis' soft voice asked from behind his bedroom door. 

"Almost, give me a minute." 

"Alright, we'll be outside." She informed him, her footsteps fading as she walked away. 

Will sat on his bed, staring at himself dressed in his dark suit. He hated this suit, this ill-fitted suit that made him look like someone he didn't recognize. 

He hated the boxes in his room that was halfway filled with clothes, books, and memorable items that he was going to take with him to Baltimore. He hated that he was leaving.

The last thing Will wanted to do was to leave Wolf Trap. This was his home, it was the only home he knew for the last seventeen years of his existence. Now he was leaving it behind all because of a drunk driver. 

A drunk driver and his father being at the wrong place at the wrong time. That was all it took for his life to take a nosedive. Horrible thoughts entered his mind. Thoughts of him tracking down the driver, sneaking up behind him and wrapping his hands around his throat. He would look and see how the life drained out of the pathetic man's eyes. 

Will shut his eyes and opened him them again slowly. He shouldn't think of such things. 

What was even worse than leaving Wolf Trap was leaving behind the pack. Jack and Phyllis' place had no room for all of them which Will wasn't surprised about. The couple was pretty well off, especially with Jack's salary. It still wouldn't be right to dump a pack of dogs on them. It didn't console him, either way, knowing that he had and the pack was going to go their separate ways for who knows how long. 

He asked Jack if he could take one of them and thankfully he agreed, giving him a small lecture that the dog was his responsibility. As if Jack didn't know that he had taken care of dogs his whole life. 

He had a difficult time choosing the one that would come with him to Baltimore. He cared about them all and it hurt him knowing that he wouldn't see any of their joyful faces for a while. In the end, he decided to take Winston with him. He was the latest addition to the pack and he needed special attention. 

First, he needed to see his dad one last time at the funeral today. To say goodbye and leave this all behind in two days. To start a new life in a new city surrounded by new people.

_Bullshit._

Will promised himself that he would come back here again and reclaim his home once he was older. He had no interest at all in living in a large city. 

It was the least he could do to honor his father, that and go to the stupid prep school he was going to attend when he arrived in Baltimore.

He couldn't wait until he was fucking eighteen.


	2. Pala delle Convertite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will is introduced to new people, one of them catching his attention which is a rarity for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers, I'd like to apologize for the delay in this chapter. I've been quite busy in my life and I'm also working on two other stories as well as this one. I'll have more time to work on this one as soon as I wrap up my other fic. Enjoy!

Will's new room was nothing like his old one; it was colder and less homely.

All of the things that he packed from Wolf trap were either already set up or still in their boxes that laid around in his room. Phyllis had been encouraging him to unpack, but he felt no need to. He knew that she was just trying to help him adjust to the change, it was normal of her to comfort anyone that was in a bad state, physically or mentally. Jack was more of a pat on the back type when it came to consoles.

Either way, he was glad neither of them was being overbearingly consoling for which he was grateful. That couldn't be said for some of the people that attended the funeral. People that told Will how lucky he was to have people like Jack and Phyllis to take care of him.

_You're in good hands, sweetie._

_You'll never have to worry about a thing, they're responsible folks!_

As if his father wasn't like that. 

It was quite easy for Will to tell when a person is lying or when they were forcing their politeness. One look into their eyes and he knew everything he needed to know. He could spot their false sympathy in that old couple's beady eyes. The entitlement of one of Jack's co-workers as if a fisherman's funeral was below him.

He despised people and he despised looking into their eyes. That was why he'd rather be alone. 

Now that his father was gone and his dogs were in new homes, (with the exception of Winston) Will could only rely on himself. Jack and Phyllis were good people, however, they never would be able to understand him as his father did. They'll always be questioning him and making suggestions that he would never do, telling him advice that he wouldn't adhere to. Make friends within a month? Find someone he likes and go on a date? He'll probably win the lottery first. 

There was a knock on the door and he heard Phyllis' voice. 

"Will, can I come in?" 

_No._

"Yes," Will said instead flatly.

The door opened and Phyllis entered, her hair pinned up nicely and dressed in a long beige coat. She was possibly going to go out with Jack tonight, it was his day off in weeks today. 

"How's _Animal Farm_ going?" She asked eyes at the cover of the book Will had in his hand. 

Will set it down beside him on the bed and sat up. "It's alright so far." He shrugged. 

"Are you sure? You barely made a dent in it since the last time I came in here," She asked again, arms crossed and a small, knowing smile on her face.

Will sighed, she was way more observant than he thought.

"Yes, I noticed," Phyllis continued, sitting at the edge of his bed. "You must have a lot on your mind."

"I do," Will confirmed, avoiding her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it right now if that's alright by you."

"I don't expect you to, Will," Phyllis said, "I would like for you to spend a day out of your room though."

"What for? I don't know any place around here aside from the DMV you guys took me too," Will scoffed. 

Phyllis' smile widened and Will knew he just walked into a trap.

"Well, you're in luck," She began happily, "Jack and I are going to an art museum today, there's a Botticelli painting going to displayed there and we thought it would be a great idea if you came along."

"I don't know much about art," Will stated, attempting to come up with an excuse even though he knew Phyllis won't probably take no for an answer today.

"That's fine, neither does Jack, to be honest," She chuckled, "We're also going to meet up with some acquittances of Jack there and go out for dinner later."

Will pressed his lips together, Phyllis must have noticed his disapproval when she continued to speak.

"I know you're not good with strangers, but it'll only be for a few hours tops." She pressed her palms together in a prayer-like manner and held it to her chin. "Please do this poor old woman a favor and accompany her so she can eat free hors d'oeuvres and drink wine and gaze at ridiculously expensive art."

Will cracked a tiny smile. 

He might as well go since she was asking so nicely. Plus, he was bored as shit. 

"I could use some fresh air, I guess." 

Phyllis grinned and patted his knee. 

"Be ready in fifteen minutes." She said. And with that last order, she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Will looked at Winston who was fast asleep in his bed by his window, he resisted the temptation to pet since he was in his deep sleep. 

It looked like today Winston was going to have the house to himself. 

"Lucky you," Will said quietly to the sleeping dog. 

+

The museum was extravagant, he felt out of place and yet he couldn't help but feel he was content. 

The art on display was unique, sculptures of men, woman, beasts throughout different periods of history. Each of them molded in their creator's image. Will could almost picture them being made. 

He tried his best to focus solely on the art and not on other people around him, he was the youngest one here as far as if he knew. Everyone else was either around Jack and Phyllis' age or older. What teenager would be here on a Saturday afternoon? They were all out on the streets or picking movies to watch later at the local video store. 

Then again, he had no friends to do that with so what did it matter? 

"Will," Jack's voice stopped his thoughts, waving him over to enter the exhibition. Will followed him and noticed the immediate change of scenery as they walked into the larger area. White walls with marble tiling; golden sculptures and crosses and mahogany benches. There were more people, so he stuck closer to the two of them, not wanting to bump into anyone.

He looked around in interest, the exhibition had a religious theme. Paintings and figures of holy figures were everywhere as far as the eye could see. Even though Will wasn't devoted to any sort of God, he could still admire the imagery. Religion gave him no comfort, but he understood why people relied on it. His father never did. He didn't even learn about God until was he around seven.

"Oh, there it is," Phyllis beamed, pointing excitedly to the painting that was on the other side of the room. Much to their dismay, a large group of people had surrounded the painting. It was so crowded Will couldn't even get a proper look at it. 

"We'll wait until the crowd dies down," Jack reassured Phyllis with a gentle hand on her back when he saw her disappointment. 

"That seems best," She agreed, "In the meantime, we should look for Dr. Lecter and Fredrick." She added with a smile. 

"Jack's co-workers?" Will questioned curiously.

"Fredrick is a co-worker, Dr. Lecter is more of an associate," Jack explained, looking around. "They should be here by now actually."

Just as Jack finished his sentence, they were approached by a dark-haired man in a grey suit with a wide, almost laughably faux smile on his face as he stopped in front of them. His body movement, appearance, and demeanor, in general, screamed of arrogance.

"Jack, Phyllis, good to see you again," He greeted the two to which they greeted back politely. "Dr. Lecter's not with me, I offered him a ride, but he chose to come alone." He tilted his head comically and smiled when he noticed Will. "And this must be the famous Will that I've been hearing so much about."

He speaks to me as if I'm a child, Will thought inwardly. 

"First, my apologies for the loss of your father. Life can deal you a bad hand sometimes." He went on, placing his hand onto Will's shoulder, causing him to flinch. Chilton seemed oblivious to the discomfort he caused right now.

"I suppose so," Will said dryly.

"Will's father was a close friend of ours, we've known since he was about eight or nine." Jack elaborated. His face a silent plea for Chilton to move on from the subject. 

Chilton finally seemed to get the hint and he nodded, removing his hand, his smile even more forced if that was possible. Will was already growing tired of him and he had only known the man for two minutes. 

"Well, keep your chin up. And I can always to lend an ear if you need to vent. Death can be quite difficult for a young teen like yourself." Chilton advised too happily. 

Will was about to tell him off before Phyllis explained, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. He normally didn't allow touch, Phyllis was an exception. 

"Fredrick is a psychiatrist at the Baltimore Institute for the Criminally Insane. He and Jack often work together at the BAU on certain crimes." She whispered to Will as she guided him away, Chilton already engaged in a conversation with Jack. 

"How can you two stand him?" Will asked in awe. 

Phyllis hid her laugh behind her hand. 

"I'll admit he's a bit of a handful, but he's not that all bad." 

"You see too much good in people." Will shook his head. 

All of a sudden, the large group of people began making their way towards another area of the museum, leaving the exhibition mostly empty.

"Oh, that's right, there's an orchestra about to play in one of the halls," Phyllis said, turning to Will. "I would love to see the Botticelli painting, but I know Jack wants to see the orchestra."

"I can stay here until you come back." Will offered. 

"Are you sure you don't want to come see it with us?" Phyllis asked, her tone unsure. 

"It's fine," Will smiled, "You and Jack go have fun, I'll look around."

"Alright, we won't be long." She stated happily and patted his arm. She walked over towards Jack and Chilton, spoke to the two of them and they followed the rest of the group into the hall. When they disappeared into the crowd, Will took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was alone again. Now he could roam to wherever he wanted. He might as well enjoy the exhibition properly first.

There were fewer people in here than before, Will stopped and looked at the various pieces as he went around the gallery. He saved the Botticelli painting for last and slowed down his steps when he saw that he wasn't alone in this area

There was a man sitting on a wooden bench in front of the painting, his head bowed slightly as he drew onto a sketchpad. Will couldn't see what he was drawing from his view, so he turned his attention to the grand painting in front. 

It depicted Jesus Christ nailed to the cross surrounded by other figures, most appearing to be angels or other saints. He didn't know to describe what he was seeing. Was it tragic? Was it brutal? Both?

"Beautiful, isn't it?" A velvety, accented voice asked.

The voice belonged to the man's, now staring directly at Will.

If Will could describe him in one word, it would be unnerving. He was obviously older than him, most likely in his late twenties or early thirties. His hair was a light brown shade and his eyes were piercing him, his cognac on Will's own blue. He had sharp cheekbones, a strong jawline, thin lips that were curved upwards into a small smile. He was the most elegant man that Will had ever seen. He felt scraggly just by looking at him.

Will looked down instantly and refused to meet the man's eyes. 

"Beautiful isn't the word I would use."

"Is that so?" The man asked, his tone sounding intrigued. "What word would you use?"

Will glanced at the painting again, making up his mind in a matter of seconds.

"Disheartening."

The man seemed to ponder over his choice and remained silent for a moment, his face showing almost no emotion. 

"Some would say that it's tragic," The man continued, "A tragedy and an injustice."

"I suppose, I would maybe see it that way if I were religious." Will inputted.

"Neither am I," The man stood up gracefully and took a few steps forward towards Will, making the younger man take a step back by instinct. He was dressed nicely in a dark blue suit with a tie that was almost too perfectly designed.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself, I'm Dr. Hannibal Lecter." The man greeted, raising a hand to shake. 

Will hesitated before reaching out and shaking his hand, letting it go quickly. 

"Will Graham." He answered plainly. 

_Wait, Dr. Lecter?_

"I think we have mutual acquittances, do you know Jack Crawford?"

"I do," Hannibal confirmed with a nod. "I offer my services to him on cases he works on occasionally. How are you acquainted with him?" He asked. 

"He's my guardian," Will stated.

"So you are the young man he's taken in, I heard that he had a new child in his care, but I tend not to pay any attention to workplace gossip," Hannibal said, his posture straightening even more as if he was recognizing he was the older or superior in this conversation. 

"I'm not a child, I'm going to be eighteen next year," Will sharply responded. If it was one thing he didn't like, it was people making him feel inferior. 

"Fair enough, a young man," Hannibal conceded, his expression neutral. 

Will changed the subject before it bothered him further.

"You draw?" 

Hannibal glanced at his closed sketchpad but made no effort to show Will the contents inside. 

"Yes, I do occasionally. I was drawing _The Holy Trinity_," Hannibal said, turning to face the painting again. "One of Botticelli's underrated works."

"So that's what it's called," Will said simply, turning as well. "Do you know a lot about his work?"

"He's one of my favorites," Hannibal answered, "I personally enjoy _Primavera_, it focuses more on mythology which some may find more appealing than his religious pieces. Less disheartening." He finished as he made a brief, small smile directed at Will.

This time, Will didn't look away. He attempted to look at his eyes and he did, looking back into them for about five seconds until his resolve weakened.

He lowered his head and cleared his throat. 

"It must be something to view."

"It is, It can only be viewed in Florence however," Hannibal elaborated, "Have you ever been to Florence?"

"No," Will answered simply. "I've never even left the country."

"Well, if you ever get the chance to do so, I highly recommend it," Hannibal suggested casually.

Before Will could reply, He heard footsteps coming towards them and saw Jack, Phyllis, and Dr. Chilton going straight to them.

"Ah, Dr. Lecter, I see you've found Will, Phyllis was worrying he would run off and go to the dog park." Dr. Chilton declared, not noticing the slight amusement in Phyllis's face. She hid it expertly as she greeted Hannibal.

"Good to see you, Dr. Lecter," Jack said with a calm smile. 

"Hello Jack, Phyllis, and again, I must insist that you call me Hannibal." He then regarded Chilton with a mere nod. "Hello, Dr. Chilton."

Will noted the disguised twitch of annoyance that Chilton made at not being welcomed like the Crawfords. It was obvious that Hannibal didn't hold him in the same regard as he did with Jack and Phyllis. In fact, Chilton seemed to irritate him, there was one thing they had in common.

"I thought you guys were watching the orchestra," Will questioned. 

"We were, I got a call from the restaurant just before we entered." Jack clarified, pushing back the antenna of his mobile phone. "There was a mix-up and now our reservation is gone," He added, his tone frustrated. 

"How unfortunate. In that case, I would like to invite all of you to my house for dinner." Hannibal declared.

"Oh, Hannibal, we couldn't! Not on such short notice," Phyllis excused, shaking her head. 

"Please, I insist," Hannibal countered with a smile. "I have not been able to cook for anyone in quite some time due to my schedule and I would be delighted to have the four of you over."

Will raised his eyebrows when Hannibal mentioned four of them. Hannibal was inviting him?

Jack and Phyllis were both staring at him, both with similar pleased reactions. 

"Would you like to come with us Will? After we see the orchestra and the rest of the museum? If you want to go home, we understand." Jack told him.

Will usually would want nothing more than to go home after being around strangers. They were intrusive and loud, irritating to the point of exhaustion. But he promised Phyllis he would cooperate and try to mingle. He had more of that to do on Monday when he begins at his new school; he might as well get a head start as much as he disliked it. 

Will didn't know what possessed him to glance in Hannibal's direction as he saw the ever so serene expression grace his face. He was waiting for an answer like the rest of them, but Hannibal appeared to already know what his response would be. 

"I guess I have no choice." He gave in with his attempt at a smile.

Hannibal smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your kudos and comments are an inspiration and sweet thoughts to fill my head as I write. ♥

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any requests, my tumblr is @melancholic-s


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